Tool for hub caps



Jan 7, 1958 E. F. cARLsEN I 2,818,635

Toor. FOR HUB CAPs Filed Aug. 27. 1954 United States Patent O 2,818,635.TOGLJFOR' CAPS Einar FQ Carlsen, Chicago; Ill.

Applic'atin'augustm,1954,*serial No. 452,621

1 Claim. (Cl. 253-245) The present invention relatesegenerallygto a toolIand more particularlyto a lever toolfor removing automobile` wheel hublcaps.

In'v'ordr tof'ch'ange `an-automobile'tirefanpperator must rstremovetheclip-mounted wheel'hubcap in order to gain access to thenuts'f'holdin'gltheif'wheel to the wheel hub. The tools normallyemployed toi-do this -are a screwdrive'r and a hammer, Ail operatorplaces the end of the screw driver into the breach between the outerperiphery of the hub cap and the adjacent shoulder of the wheel anddrives the screw driver into the breach by pounding it with a hammer orthe like.

The use of these tools for removing hub caps, although common practice,is entirely unsatisfactory. In the course of being driven into theannular hub cap breach, the screw driver often mars the hub cap or thewheel by scratching the metal or by scraping away paint or chromiumplating. It is also usually diicult for an operator to obtain enoughleverage to dislodge the hub cap with the result that the operator oftenmust exert a great amount of physical eiort in removing a hub cap inthis way. Another disadvantage of using a screw driver or the like as atool for removing automobile hub caps lies in the fact that the closeproximity of the tire and rim to the hub cap affords very little spacein which to swing the screw driver in lever fashion. A furtherdisadvantage in using a screw driver as a tool rests in the fact thatthere is no secure contact between the tool and the hub cap, and thetool can easily slip from an operators hands with resulting injury tothe operator.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to providea tool for removing a hub cap which enables an operator to remove suchhub cap quickly and with a minimum of elort and inconvenience. It is acollateral object of the invention to provide a tool for removing a hubcap which embodies a lever and fulcrum point within a one-piece tool sothat removal of the hub cap is easily effected upon the application ofleverage by an operator, and which may be effectual even when used bywomen or children.

Itis a further object of the present invention to provide a device forremoving a hub cap which device will securely seat and extend into thebreach between the outer periphery of the hub cap and the adjacentshoulder of the wheel so as to prevent slippage of the tool andconsequent injury to an operator.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a tool forremoving an automobile hub cap which tool is of a shape and size so thatit may be operated as a lever in the clear without interference by anyof the surrounding stationary portions of the wheel, such as the tire orrim.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a devicefor removing a wheel hub cap which does not, when inserted into thebreach surrounding the outer periphery of the hub cap, scratch, dent orin any way damage chromium plating or a paint coating on the hub cap orwheel.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent Miceupon're'ading'the' 4attached 'detailed dscriptiomandrupont reference tothe drawingsiinUv which:`

Fig.'V 1 is a pl'an"view"of"`the vdevice employed in prac; ticing; thepre'sent'invention.

Fig; 2 :is aneleva'tionv of the illustrative'tool.'

Fig."y 3`is` a fragmentary'perspective 'of 'the voperative endA of the',tool.

Fig." 4 sh'ows the tool asapplied'lto 'a hubcap mounted on 'la wheel.

Fig. 5`is a 'clteralsecti'on takenyalongthe li'ne .SL-Sfin Fig: 4;

While the invention has been described in connection' the preferredernb'odirnent ofthe present inventionfa tf bar of 'spring steel'about1s"inch thick, linch Wide, and4 about 7 inches.4 longjs used.i

A` spade shaped tooth projection 121s provided lat the first end of thelever 10 in transverse relationship thereto and at a substantially angleto the lever. In the exemplary device, the tooth projection 12 is about:A: inch wide and about 5/8 inch long from base 4to tip. For the purposeof facilitating insertion of the tool into a breach 13 formed between ahub cap 14 and an adjacent shoulder 15 of a wheel 16, the extreme endportion of the tooth projection 12 is beveled for a distance of about5%; inch from the end of the projection. In order to provide a leveragefulcrum point 18 for the beveled tooth projection 12, the end of thelever 10 adjacent to the tooth projection extends for a distance ofabout 1/s inch beyond the outermost surface of the tooth projection soas to present a point of contact or a fulcrum 22 between the device andthe shoulder 15 of the wheel 16. The fulcrum point 18 comprises twospaced ears 19 and 21 which form a bifurcated extension at the end ofthe lever 10 adjacent to the tooth projection 12. A manual grippingportion is provided at the other end of the lever 10.

Thus, the device easily lends itself to assembly line production as aone-piece tool. For example, a flat piece of bar stock may be subjectedat one end to a cutting operation in which the piece is slit to define acentral portion and the two ears 19 and 21. The central portion is thenbent, preferably by the action of a die, to form the tooth projection 12in a position transverse to the lever 10. The ears 19 and 21 may be thentrimmed to the length shown. The spade shape is imparted to the toothprojection 12 by finally grinding the outside surface of the end of thetooth.

As shown in the drawings, the hub cap 14 is ordinarily mounted lon theWheel 16 and held thereupon by means of retaining clips 20. In using thepresent device an operator places the spade shaped tooth projection 12into the annular breach 13 between the outer periphery of the hub cap 14and the adjacent shoulder 15 of the wheel 16 with the gripping portionof the lever 10 extending radially inward. When the tooth projection 12has been fully inserted into the breach 13, the fulcrum point 18 of thet-ool assumes a direct contacting relationship with the wheel shoulder15 and the two surfaces together form a leverage fulcrum 22. Upon movingthe gripping portion of the lever 10 in an arc directed away from thehub cap 14, the entire lever swings about the leverage fulcrum 22 thusimparting a prying action to the inserted tooth projection 12 so thatthe tooth projection forcibly releases the edge of the hub cap 14 fromits retaining clips 20 and Athus effects a removal of the hub cap fromthe wheel 16.

It is found in practice that the tool is stable during the pryingoperation and there is no tendency for the tool to slip sideways ortwist in the hand of the operator. This is due to the fact that two ears19 and 21 serving as a fulcrum point 18 areprovided widely spaced fromone another and arranged symmetrically on each side of the tooth 12. Itis also found in practice that use of the tool permits application ofvery ecient leverage forces. This is because the two ears 19 and 21,which serve as thel fulcrurn point 18 and extend outward on the lever 10beyond the tooth projection 12 so as to be in a position for contactingthe wheel shoulder 15, are suciently short that the leverage forceexerted by the prying tooth 12 is directed substantially perpendicularlyagainst the hub cap 14 and away from the retaining clips 20.

I claim as my invention:

In a tool for removing a hub cap fastened to an automobile wheel byinternal spring clips or the like and positioned on the wheel within lawheel shoulder so that an annular breach between the outer periphery ofthe hub cap and the wheel shoulder is provided, the combinationcomprising a lever having a spade shaped tooth projection at its firstend and projecting at a substantially 90 angle thereto `and said spadeshaped tooth projection extending transversely of the lever forinsertion substantially its entire length in the annular breach, saidlever having a manual gripping portion at the other end, said projectioncomprising a tang-like tooth bent from the central portion of sai-d rstlever end and defining on either side thereof a pair of spaced ears,said ears extending the lever axially beyond said projection a distancenot greater than the length of said tooth shaped projection and forminga fulcrum point at their transverse end surfaces so that movement ofsaid lever radially outward with respect to said hub cap and around afulcrum formed by the fulcrum point of the tool and the wheel shoulderwill effect a removal of the hub icap from the wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,923,770 Baker Aug. 22, 1933 1,975,773 Davis Oct. 9, 1934 2,118,159Castner May 24, 1938 2,148,213 Lyon Feb. 21, 1939 2,276,105 Shiells Mar.10, 1942 2,748,457 Lyon June 5, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 455,940 GermanyFeb. 2, 1927

